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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23135959">Isolation of the Self</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Coronavirus, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 08:15:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>289</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23135959</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>They know that there’s a leak in the Order.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sirius Black/Remus Lupin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Isolation of the Self</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They know that there’s a leak in the Order.</p>
<p>A weak link. They don’t know who it is.</p>
<p>They know it because things are getting worse, despite limiting contact between members to only the most necessary. Despite gatherings being kept small to keep out everyone but the most trusted. Despite increased privacy and secrecy and isolation. </p>
<p>Remus thinks it’s Sirius. </p>
<p>It’s the way he’s been distant, more hesitant and reserved and calculating with his touches, with his affection. They move through their flat as if they are strangers, despite the ever growing number of hours in each day that they are forced to spend inside it. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Later, when James and Lily die after being in contact with only Sirius, Peter, and himself in those last few weeks, Remus will know it was Sirius. </p>
<p>Later, when Peter dies along with a dozen others and Sirius disappears, Remus will wonder how he didn’t notice the signs soon enough. He’ll wonder why he didn’t take decisive action to stop it before it was too late. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Later, Sirius will say that it was never him, that he blamed himself for 12 years but it was never him. </p>
<p>Later, Remus will learn that it was Peter all along. That he was still alive after all this time. </p>
<p>Later, when Peter uses Harry to allow something that has been dormant for 12 years to be released back into the world, after the devastation that it caused the first time around, Remus will wonder what could have been if they had only been honest with each other, if they had both voiced their fears. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>But for now, Remus thinks that it’s Sirius who is spreading Coronavirus through the Order. And he isn’t going to say anything.</p>
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